Former Michigan prison officer sentenced for criminal sexual conduct
Third inmate dies at Huron Valley Women's Prison
Ashley Hoath died on Saturday, the third woman from Huron Valley Correctional Facility to die while incarcerated in less than a month. Summer DesJardin has been out of prison for less than a month. She tells FOX 2 she knew all three of the inmates who recently died and, like them, has her own experience of failing health inside the prison walls.
(FOX 2) - A 22-year-old Wyandotte man and former corrections officer at a women's prison in Washtenaw County has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual misconduct.
Joshua Lee was charged after he sexually assaulted a woman while employed at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility.
What we know:
Lee was sentenced in the 22nd Circuit Court in Washtenaw County after pleading guilty to a single count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
He received between 18 months and 15 years behind bars after he "engaged in multiple sexual acts with several prisoners while working at the prison" according to a news release from the Michigan Attorney General.
He was originally charged in November 2025 with four counts of criminal sexual conduct.
Dig deeper:
Nessel used the case as an example of why state laws should change. According to the AG, Michigan law currently criminalizes sexual contact by corrections officers, but there is no statute specifically addressing sexual penetration.
Because of this, Lee is charged with second-degree CSC even though the incidents allegedly involved penetration. Nessel said she believes the laws should be updated so that first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct explicitly cover sexual penetration by corrections staff.
"Our laws should match the severity of the crime, and this type of alleged sexual misconduct by corrections staff is a serious violation," Nessel said. "Updating these statutes will strengthen protections for inmates and ensure that penalties appropriately match the offense."
The Source: A news release from the Michigan Attorney General was cited for this story.